Tag: Righteous

Individual Responsibility, Living in the Image of God

Individual Responsibility for Positive Human Interaction: Continuous Living

Living in the Image of God M04S10

Christ teaching regarding final judgment conveys a message of God’s purpose for human interactions in continuous living. He assigns responsibilities to every person as his representative among others and calls each person to seek to perform the responsibilities through their living and human interactions. He will accept into his kingdom those he judges as “performs their individual responsibilities” but will not accept those he judges as “declines their individual responsibilities.” He will judge a person based on how he sees their living and will not reveal the day or time of final judgment. Therefore, individual relationship with God requires a person to be committed to God’s purpose and seek to fulfill the purpose in continuous living and interactions with others.

M04S10 Individual Responsibility for Positive Human Interaction: Continuous Living 20:36

We discuss Christ teaching regarding God’s expectation of every person in everyday living and interactions with others. First, in the Sermon on the Mount, his teaching conveys a message regarding commitment to God’s purpose—that seeking to fulfill God’s purpose should be the only motivation for a person’s living and human interactions: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God” [Matthew 5:8]. Second, his teaching on final judgment conveys a message of God’s purpose for human interactions in continuous living. God assigns individual responsibilities to every person, to represent him in human interactions with others, and will judge each person based on how he sees their living as they perform or decline to perform the responsibilities.

He calls every person to seek to perform the responsibilities as the only motivation for their living and human interactions. He will accept into his kingdom those he judges as people that perform their individual responsibilities in human interactions but not those he judges as people that decline theirs. Christ teaching regarding final judgment (Matthew 24:36–51) conveys a two-part message: first, that God will not reveal the day and time of final judgment and, second, he will judge every person based on their performing or declining their individual responsibilities in human interactions, as he sees their living. Therefore, individual relationship with God requires a person to be committed to God’s purpose and seek to fulfill the purpose in continuous living and human interactions.

We provide a two-part bible study to understand Christ teaching regarding continuous living and human interactions, under the title of Individual Responsibility for Positive Human Interaction. The first (current) study discusses his teaching in the Sermon on the Mount regarding commitment to God’s purpose and his teaching regarding the day and time of final judgment, to understand his message of continuous living and human interactions through individual responsibilities. In the second study, we summarize our understanding of the individual responsibilities based on previous studies in this program.

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Individual Responsibility, Living in the Image of God

Individual Responsibility in Call to Compassion

Living in the Image of God M04S03

Christ teaching in the Parable of the Sheep and the Goats and an earlier message through Prophet Isaiah provide an understanding of the individual responsibility in a call to compassion. When God directs a person to an opportunity to provide goods or service to benefit others in need, he calls the person to recognize the need, care about the needy, commit to contributing goods or service to alleviate the need, and persevere in seeking to contribute. He promises blessing for those that complete their responsibility in a call to compassion but punishment for those that decline theirs.

M04S03 Individual Responsibility in Call to Compassion 19:41

We discuss Christ teaching in the Parable of the Sheep and the Goats (Matthew 25:31–46) and an earlier message through Prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 58:7–9) to understand the individual responsibility in a call to compassion. As we discuss in previous studies (e.g., Responsibility in Call to Compassion), a call to compassion is when God directs a person’s attention to the need of another person less able to provide for the need. Through the Parable of the Sheep and the Goats, Christ defines the individual responsibility in a call to compassion: recognize the need and needy, care about the needy, be motivated by care to commit to contributing goods or service to alleviate the need, and persevere in seeking to contribute.

He uses the parable to provide a message of people serving God by serving other people. He categorizes as righteous, people that serve God by providing goods or service to benefit other people in need: “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me” [Matthew 25:40]. Also, he uses the parable to explain that a person declines a call to serve God when he or she declines assistance to another person in need: “Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me” [Matthew 25:45]. Regarding a call to compassion, the phrase “the least of these” means the needy (i.e., a person that has a need but is less able to provide for the need).

God promises blessing for those that complete their responsibility in a call to compassion: “Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world” [Matthew 25:34] (also, see his promise in Isaiah 58:8–9). In contrast, he promises punishment for the others (i.e., those that decline responsibility in a call to compassion): “Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels” [Matthew 25:41].

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Individual Responsibility, Living in the Image of God

Individual Responsibility Series

Living in the Image of God M04S01

We begin a study series to understand God’s purpose for a person in terms of individual responsibility. In the Parable of the Net and Parable of the Weeds, for example, Christ describes the basis for binary categorization of people as righteous or wicked during final judgment. He describes fishermen categorizing fish as good fish or bad fish based on their judgment of the fish as fit or unfit to fulfill their purpose. Similarly, the grain farmer categorizes farm proceeds as wheat or weed based on their judgment of the proceeds as fit or unfit to fulfill their purpose. These parables convey a message that God categorizes people as righteous or wicked based on his judgment of their living as showing themselves fit or unfit to fulfill his purpose. God’s purpose for a person defines the individual responsibility.

Individual Responsibility Series 17:04

Our Living in the Image of God program continues this year (2023) with a study series on understanding God’s purpose for a person in terms of the individual responsibility. We will discuss Christ teaching and other human-interaction examples from the bible to understand God’s purpose in specific events in terms of the individual responsibility for a person in such events.

The series begins with understanding the basis for binary categorization of people as righteous or wicked, as Christ describes in the Parable of the Net and Parable of the Weeds. In the Parable of the Net, fishermen categorize fish as good fish or bad fish based on their judgment of the fish as fit or unfit to fulfill their purpose for fish. Similarly, in the Parable of the Weeds, the grain farmer categorizes farm proceeds as wheat or weed based on their judgment of the proceeds as fit or unfit to fulfill their purpose for wheat.

The parables convey an understanding of the basis for the binary categorization of people at final judgment. God categorizes as righteous, people that show themselves fit to fulfill his purpose for them based on his judgment of their living. In contrast, he categorizes as wicked, people that show themselves unfit to fulfill his purpose for them based on his judgment of their living. Therefore, God’s purpose for a person determines his categorization of the person.

His purpose for a person in a given event defines the person’s individual responsibility for the event. He is pleased with those that show themselves fit to fulfill their individual responsibility and displeased with those that show themselves unfit: based on his judgment of their living. The bible study series will seek to understand the individual responsibility in specific events based on Christ teaching and human-interaction examples from the bible regarding such events.

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From the Gospel, Living in the Image of God

Righteous or Wicked in Parable of the Weeds

Living in the Image of God M03S21

Christ teaching in several parables describes the binary categorization of people as righteous or wicked based on God judgment of their living. The righteous show themselves fit for God’s purpose and typically fulfill their individual responsibility as he assigns to them. In contrast, the wicked show themselves unfit for God’s purpose and typically decline their individual responsibility. Through the Parable of the Weeds, we learn that God creates every person righteous and gives each a lifetime to show themselves righteous or wicked. He allows them to coexist until final judgment, when he will separate the wicked into hell and call the righteous to his kingdom.

Righteous or Wicked in Parable of the Weeds 16:31

This study begins a miniseries to understand Christ teaching regarding the binary categorization of people as righteous or wicked based on God judgment of their living. The righteous are people that show themselves fit for God’s purpose based on how he sees them. Such people typically perform their individual responsibility as God assigns to them. For example, the righteous typically complete responsibility in a call to compassion.

The other category is the wicked and consists of people that show themselves unfit for God’s purpose based on how he sees them. Such people typically decline their individual responsibility as God assigns to them. For example, the wicked typically decline responsibility in a call to compassion.

The miniseries begins with the Parable of the Weeds (Matthew 13:24–30 and 36–43), where we learn that God creates every person righteous. Also, he gives every person a lifetime to show themselves righteous or wicked. There is no neutral choice. There is no neutral behavior. Whoever is not righteous is wicked. Also, the parable explains that the righteous and wicked coexist until final judgment, when God will separate the wicked from the righteous, throw the wicked to eternal burning in hell, and call the righteous into his kingdom in heaven.

We discuss the Parable of the Weeds in this study to end our 2022 program year. The bible study program will resume in February 2023 with focus on Christ message regarding God categorization of people as righteous or wicked and how the categorization affects our understanding of God’s purpose for human interactions and relationships.

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From the Gospel, Living in the Image of God

Individual Responsibility Regarding Human Capabilities

Living in the Image of God M03S20

Christ teaching in the Parable of the Talents provides understanding that God distributes portions of his resources as grants of human capabilities to every person; which he expects all to deploy toward their individual responsibility to themselves, others, and the environment. He expects every person to do this the same way he would, if he were to manage human responsibilities and capabilities directly in human form. Further, he expects every person to expand and diversify their human capabilities by using them, rewards those that do, and punishes those that stagnate theirs by declining opportunities to use them.

Individual Responsibility Regarding Human Capabilities 20:53

We discuss Christ teaching in the Parable of the Talents to understand that God distributes portions of his resources among people as grants of human capabilities: to empower every person to perform their individual responsibility to themselves, others, and the environment. He expects every person to deploy the resources he grants to them toward their individual responsibility, the same way he would if he managed human responsibilities and capabilities directly in human form. Also, he expects every person to expand and diversify their capabilities by using them.

Further, Christ explains through the parable that God recognizes two human categories based on what a person does with the capabilities he granted to them. One category is the righteous. These are people that use their capabilities and expand and diversify them as a result. The other category is the wicked, which are people that stagnate their capabilities by refusing to use them. God rewards the righteous and punishes the wicked.

This understanding of the Parable of the Talents is based on Matthew 25:14–30 and enriched by our previous discussion of Living in the Image of God.

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The Gospel

Sin—Opposite of Living in the Image of God

Sin—Opposite of Living in the Image of God
A Christ Teaching on Righteousness

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Christ uses parables to describe separation of people into two categories based on living in the image of God: the righteous and the wicked.

Final Judgment wikipedia.org
Final Judgment wikipedia.org

The righteous are people that live in the image of God, whereby each person is a channel for God’s compassion and conveyor of his image. As a channel for God’s compassion (i.e., God’s provider assistant), a person recognizes needs placed in their path, commits to providing for the need, and perseveres until they succeed: much like the Samaritan in the parable of the Good Samaritan. Being a conveyor of God’s image means providing reasonable opportunity for people to feel the hand of God through your interactions with them. In contrast, the category of the wicked consists of people that decline God’s call to compassion by denying services placed in their path: much like the chief priest and the Levite in the parable of the Good Samaritan. Christ describes the categorization through the parables of the weeds [Matthew 13:24–29 and 37–43], the net [Matthew 13:47–50] and the sheep and the goats [Matthew 25:31–46].

ETERNAL LIFE FOR THE RIGHTEOUS He explained through the parables that the righteous will inherit eternal life in the kingdom of God. The wicked, in contrast, will be condemned to eternal punishment in a fiery furnace where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Also, he explained through the parable of the weeds that God offers every person a persistent opportunity to repent from a life of wickedness to a life of righteousness. The opportunity persists until death or final judgment, whichever comes first [Matthew 13:40]. We examine the three parables in this study and use information contained in them and other related teachings of Christ to discuss the meaning of righteousness.

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